Did George Russell Really Get A Puncture At The Sakhir Grand Prix? | F1 2020
A series of events that occured at the Sakhir Grand Prix has kept me wondering.
Firstly, George's laptimes are very consistent. For a car to suffer a puncture at that speed, you would expect at least a bigger drop-off in performance, especially when doing an extra lap on that tyre. George was losing tenths of a second, not seconds. These differences can be a factor of multiple things like driver mistakes, tyre wear, track conditions, ERS deployment modes, etc.
Secondly, George's uncertainty about pitting. George is the only person driving the car and feeling every single sensation that the car is providing. Yet, he wasn't sure about pitting after knowing about the slow puncture and spending an entire extra lap with the tyre?
And finally, why didn't Mercedes pit George the instant they discovered the puncture? Why wait one extra lap? Even though Bahrain Outer is short, doesn't pushing a compromised tyre for one extra lap increase the chances of it failing?
All of these question marks is what made me create this video. I just wanted to offer some food for thought, which I hope can better clarify the questionable events that happened at that race.
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This video is made available for informational and educational purposes.
To whom it may concern. I'm not trying to "bash" Mercedes or say that they purposely robbed George from the win. Quite the opposite in fact, as they are the team that invested in George for so many years, and ultimately the ones to give George this amazing opportunity. I simply wanted to share the points I noticed. I couldn't help but wonder why George was left out for one extra lap. He had nothing to gain from doing that, other than adding more jeopardy to his race. Mercedes made many mistakes that race, and perhaps this was just another one that ultimately didn't cost them. And yes, I realise slow punctures are a thing, George is not the first nor the last driver to experience them.
@eman kcin haha this means so much more now
@ståle hansen Anyways if I didn't watch I wouldn't know if his content is speculative or not. You gotta know the story before the conclusion.
@ståle hansen Doubt you're a native english speaker.
@ItzTheDude still u watched and commented.. ;)
I am..............hamiltons car is the fastest car, hamilton [robly told them not to allow russell to win.....CHEATS
He won that race despite of finishig 9
If George Russell had won the race then all Hamiltons race wins would be under scrutiny. Goes to show it's the car that has won the races and NOT Oppressed Hamilton. Biggest con in modern F1 history.
It's quite simple, Russell picked up a Lewis Hamilton phone call on his left rear, please please Toto, stop Russell winning, if a NoBody can jump into a Mercedes and beat Bottas and win it will make me look STUPID and the 6 Championship wins by Mercedes will look even worse because Mercedes had no other competition but itself, You right Lewis, box Russell immediately and we will use the plastic bag in the car trick failing that we will use an imaginary puncture, because the public are so stupid they believe everything Mercedes tell them.
Some really fishy on this shyte!
so sick of the hype around this guy. . .
the shit just shows how the cars are so unfair. every f2 driver can win in a mercedes
So wait George is racing for Williams in a Mercedes car?
He was about to make a joke out of Lewis and Bottas ... so yeah ... he got fucked ...
Idk why rusell hasn't even gone to Aston Martin yet. His performance in sakhir was insane and he still isn't going to bigger teams? Mercedes or Aston Martin better consider him soon cause from what I heard, he's already on the level of super max and charles le chair
Simple answer is NOPE.
Why do all engineers on the mic have the exact same British accent lol?
TBF this could have been just the fact that the tire just no pressure and their sensors just measured the really low pressure before the puncture itself. They possibly mentioned it as a puncture becuase of how important the sitaution it is. If you look at the 2010 Singapore GP, Kubica had a similar issue (eventhough his tyres were old) where his tyres felt really good, but had to pit him because "there was no pressure in that tyre".
easy they wanted checo to win
They were protecting Hamilton’s legacy. If anyone can win in their car, then Hamilton isn’t all that good.
I don’t understand though what the logic would be behind Mercedes wanting to sabotage his race? That’s why I just don’t buy the theory at all. Russell is their baby. They want him to do well obviously. Why would they want to sabotage him?
Mercedes couldn't be bothered to make a proper pit-stop without their favorite around. But even that wasn't eve to conclusively rob Russel of the win. So they called him out with a bogus puncture.
So you're saying Mercedes wanted George to lose deliberately?
frauds , imagine how embarrassed Bottas would be if he was beaten by Russell .
Your evidences are very convincing but why would Mercedes do such a thing?
Did anyone think that even George said it was crabbing down the main straight while trying to catch Perez
Russell winning would have been the end of Hamiltons career.
This is crazy! Why would his manager fix it for him to have a fictional puncture?
I guess being faster than Sir Lewis Hamilton is a puncture then? Right.
That was hard to view . Like a all times for Merc to mess up yeh they had it in the bag and win already but seriously that's hardcore disappointed for g,R
That is a terrible diagram of Bahrains track
It's the engineering team vs the pit stop team: the mercedes engineering team has been saying that they built a racecar so good that any reasonable driver and crew can win in it, so engineering deserves higher pay and the recognition. Meanwhile, Hamilton and his crew says that it's all about the execution and driver. Then comes George Russell-- he's talented no doubt, but with barely any practice with the car (he even asked about the controls during the race), he about to win. This pretty much confirms what the engineering team has been saying, and makes the pit crew look expendable. Some of the pit crew guys are worried that come next season, they won't be around or will take a pay cut since clearly the magic was all about the car. So a couple of the pit stop guys mix up a wheel. When that doesn't slow him down, they give him a wheel that has a bad patch. I doubt that toto is involved, I think management would love to see drivers and pit crew as expendable, probably great for contract negotiations.
The things that were leaked by ferrari that confirmed vettel's conspiracies, it's easy to assume that mercedes keeps sabotaging bottas's driving for example when he gets too close to hamilton and george's introduction to mercedes, I can only imagine hamilton being on the phone with a mercedes executive on his contract while watching his career crumble right in front of his tv screen and telling the exec that the money is ok just sign the deal
those circus pit-stops stopped the media from asking hamilton "what if" question. I think Merc did a good PR shunt by fucking up GR race
2007:-spygate 2008:-crashgate 2020:- puncture gate.
Its because i could win in a juiced up merc. Lewis an't that good after all.
What he prove that day was, Lewis only drive best car, and Bottas is worst F1 driver in world.
atleast he got his first point
Even George admitted that he felt the difference while driving , useless video
So if you want a small answer: Yes he does but it is still s mystery for why they decided to box him so early
What does a non genuine puncture look like?
well if he didnt get a puncture, he should get an oscar for his performance as he was definately crying behind that helmet. He even went to wipe the tears away but the visor was stopping him doing so, bless him lol
sabotaged, anyone can be chapmion using that merc
What a fake team radio right
Not sure I see much evidence against the puncture being real. Mercedes would perhaps need some time to determine the rate of pressure loss in the tire, so keeping him out could make sense while they assessed this. Lap times might not be impacted initially either, with a very slow puncture.
I don't know how the mercedes was so much faster than other cars usualy when this happens fia change rules
We all have heard Hamilton on the radio being belligerent when things aren’t perfect, so imagine what it would have done to him mentally if the bloke from the slowest car in current f1 jumps in his car and smokes the field and wins. Well George def smoked the field. Can anyone ever remember a mistake like putting the other cars tyres on a car by Mercedes? No me either I think that move was meant to put paid to George’s race but like the terrier he just didn’t give up and stop believing, he was just too good on the day so...........l.puncture, yep that should do it.
Cry harder. Btw u guys are the ones who would even doubt on your wife when she gives birth to baby.
Mercedes couldn't let Russell win that would make the car the reason why Lewis always win.
You think mercedes loves looses points for free. They don’t care of bottas, if they can win with russel they win, what is the problem?
Why?
No he didn't Mercedes had to say he had a puncture because the car which is Lewis's was so dominant that he was gonna pull away and win and that would of raised eyebrows as that is Lewis's car and how can George just jump in that car and massively outperform bottas who's been there for years... Lewis's car is not the same as bottas hence why we always hear Lewis say "the tires are gone" or "im struggling" to make it seem like Lewis is out performing the car now don't get twisted Lewis is one of the best drivers on the grid easy but his car is levels above bottas Its the same as vettel and leclurc last year it seemed like vettel was performing badly n leclurc was out performing the car but that wasn't the case vettel himself said in code multiple times last year that the gap between him and leclurc is because the car itself is different
C'mon these Pirelli tyres are joke
He should have stayed out. If he punctured, oh well. He would have finished in his usual Williams spot if he had to pit with a real flat.
I just think it’s such a coincidence how George does better than valteri and gets a puncture and it doesn’t happen to anyone else. He also said he doesn’t think he has one
It is very suspicious that when Hamilton is out of the seat, everything goes wrong for George🤔
Emotional lows (George), emotional highs (Sergio) all in that one race.
No way he got a puncture im a firm belive in that
Damn you, conspiracy theorists, superficial, vicious, narrow-minded people.
Hilarious a narrow minded person calling people who are open minded narrow minded.... What a time we live in....
Lewis sat in his Monaco pad, hotline to Mercedes....... this guy looks way too good....... Bono, it’s ok, he’s going to get a genuine puncture anytime soon. Bono to George after the race....... look kid, this is how we work, these are the rules, learn to loose, your time will come, we’re just waiting for Lewis to let us know when he’s ready to go.........Be patient!!!!!!
George Russell: Can I stay out and win the race??? Mercedes: Nein, Nein, Nein!!!!
How would it look ? Russell winning in his first race in the Merc ? It's the amazingly engineered Merc why Hamilton keeps winning ! And bottas ain't as good as Russell ! Hamilton pampered all his career ! Period !
This was clearly inside job to ruin George’s time as if he would won the race in lewis’s car then it would be pretty obvious for everyone! That says alot for how good is actually Lewis.
You cant tell it was planned cause no engineer says this is a genuine puncture
Mercedes have history of pitting confusion... even with their 7 time world champion, let alone a stand in driver.... Pete: So Box box, box box Pete: Keep the gap, so gap to Valtteri is.. Lewis: Kimi's staying out Pete: NO STAY, STAY OUT, IN, IN, In, In, In, In, In, In, IN, IN, IN, IN, IN, IN, IN, IN Lewis: Hey man... Pete: No, no sorry mate, okay just go, go
lewis : james george is winning.. james : tyres..... this is james...........
i think the team didnt want to upset hamilton so a genuine puncture occoured rather than a fake one mmmmmm. .he would have spat his dummy out if george had won... put hamilton in the williams .that would be poetic justice
George really got to show how great of a driver he really is and that he is ready to go. I kind of can’t wait for Hamilton to step down to see Russell step up and see what he can do.
I still hurt for George here.
The day I started liking George was the sakhir grand prix
GR won that race, happy for Perez getting his first victory but Merc stole that race from George when they realised he was making a mockery of Lewis
There’s no way he had a puncture
i dont think he did
Eu não acreditei no furo q George teve, muito muito menos no erros da equipe de clicar os pneus do Bottas
This race proved that Hamilton was the glue that really pulled mercedes together. Everything fell apart when he was gone. I felt really bad for George after this one.
U a clown. Phone me, gay
Ummmmmm Sports stats? fiboth.info/like/videot/apZuane2kqa5aKk
all part of the Mercedes master plan
"James, it's Lewis.."
Underrated opinion: George should replace Bottas for a few races in 2021 to compare his performance with Lewis.
Like how this video take in account for driver error. But does not take in account of engineer error
No it was fake
I’m not trying to be a conspiracy theorist here, but it truly is AMAZING how good Mercedes is at fucking up when Lewis is NOT there
Mercedes screwed George because he was gonna prove that Hamiltons car is what makes him great
No
On today's stream, Russell saw this video's title and thumbnail and he just scoffed and kind of laughed at it. It's pretty obvious that he had a puncture and the fact people doubt it is funny to him.
Ahhh I'm sorry but you're grasping at straws here... First of all, theres no reason to bring in Russell and make him loose more time. Secondly, when you say it's weird that they let him go through with another lap, there's a very simple explanation to it. If you look at all his lap times before, they were all very similar, so if indeed there was a slow puncture, they they could see a very small loss of pressure on their sensors, but in terms of lap time it can't really be seen. However by allowing him to go one lap further it allowed Mercedes to see if it was simply an irregularity in the data (sensor malfunctioning or etc), or if it was a "genuine" puncture, without loosing theoretically too much time (its a slow puncture). And indeed during that lap he lost 0.4 tenths compared to a very consistent last few laps. Through that and the tire pressure sensors, they were most likely able to determine that indeed there was a very slow but gradual loss of pressure and that it was necessary to pit the car. Thirdly and finally, this type of "conspiracy" would require multiple people on different levels of the Mercedes technical and political (?) hierarchy being involved in it without a single whistle blower, something, which in accordance with human psychology, is quite improbable, especially over such a small timeframe.
I think they just did that because they didn't want to replace Vallteri in the 2022 season.
GEORGEEEEE
Provocative suggestion based on a commonly accepted suspicion. And there is no answer given. It does not feel good to have these issues exposed and then not really answered, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW. Shame for Mercedes and an even bigger shame for George Russell.
James, it’s Lewis....
I wish George had Lewis' seat this year..
Ohhhhhh sharrap.... Mika Salo nearly won in Germany 1999... No crying to anyone ... Next year George will be in the Mercedes...
It's just part of *The Great Mercedes MASTER 🅱️LAN*
Mercedes robed george
George's williams car cost him the win 🤦
I think the tire that was replaced because they realized it was Bottas' too and if he was to end the race with it, his result would had been suspended
Merc are a great team but let's be honesty race strategy is not a strong point. Russell probably surprised & may ironically have reduced his chances of a full time seat. Botta's is a clear number two, relative team harmony ? based on Russell's performance bet Lewis happy to have Bottas as a team mate.
Its all a Black conspiracy!!! black people have too much power in F1 and Will Smith, & the Black American Mafia has pressured Mercedes into this to make Lewis look good!! 🤣👌 PS. F1 UNFILTERED You have access to the hard disks and data I'm guessing.GTFOH!
They want Bottas to be world champion, i'm not surprised about Russel, he did a good job that day
"Genuine puncture" - hahaa! Funny, Merc. Had you planned a fake one to give the win to Bottas and not make Lewis look bad?
Watching this race I said out load “Well Hamilton has made a phone call” (Nothing against Hamilton as an F1 driver) but when Russel ran the lap with the puncture and was only down 4tenths as he hit the final turn he was hesitant to come in, I mean I just couldn’t help but feel a little uncomfortable + the Mercedes official really didn’t sell it to me, Even the double stack was not needed in my opinion such a risky move and they never go to plan let alone what happened on the day. My conclusion: Both decisions were very controversial and too be expected of a lesser team IF ANY the controversy only leads to questions I personally feel there was strategic foul play here like just think of the discussions/headlines “Anyone can win in the Mercedes” “is Hamilton really the best F1 driver or does he owe his victory to the car” REGARDLESS this really demonstrated Russell’s capabilities and what he can do with a car that is above par making him a favourite for the bigger teams, I’m so excited to be following Russell’s career, even in his short stint he is already gaining popularity as the next upcoming driver, Game On
I think this was done more to protect the Bottas/ Hamilton dynamics and maybe Bottas more, because he had signed a contract. Bottas was outclassed and allowing Russell to win would have complicated things immensely. Mercedes are not ready for another Rosberg vs Hamilton. Russell is top notch. In that car, in any season he's finishing really close to Hamilton or could beat him. Verstappen would be a distant third. Because there's no way Russell gives up anything. I believe Russell in just slightly behind them. Hungrier though. To think this cannot happen is utter naiveté. Now all this is just speculation I admit, and the last race in Abu was dominated by Red Bull because Mercedes didn't want to stress their engines? The last race and they're worried about both engines? This appeared fixed to give the fans hope, to have them tune in next season. I don't believe in conspiracies, nor do I believe in coincidences. Remember f1 lost a lot of revenue, Mercedes had clinched. They also always dominate in Abu. Peace
I think the puncture had more to do with a TRUE contender for Mr LH than it did for a puncture. I expect any new contract for Mr LH will involve an exclusion clause for Mr Russell in the team. Perhaps Mr LH could sign for Alfa and show us his talent. By the way I like Alfa Cars.............now discuss please
A genuine puncture? A puncture is a puncture! Highly suspicious choice of words.
I don't believe he did. I think this also proves that Hamilton's car is set up with just a bit more power and a bit more grip than Bottas'. Let's see what Hamilton can do against Bottas if Hamilton was in the Williams. I'm not a Hamilton Hater; I think Merc did the same to Hamilton in the 2016 season. Does anyone remember when Hamilton was complaining about the lack of speed, the engineers said "Noted, we are working on it", then Hamilton said "I fixed it." to which the reply was "You should not have done that"?
It didn't take Hamilton long to get back in the car even when he wasn't fully recovered.I think there was some very strange decisions from Mercedes.I think they where scared it shows the car is the main thing .all F1 drivers are top class. As for putting on the wrong tyres never heard of that before.